A bullying violent boyfriend from Great Sankey, Warrington, pressed a pillow over his terrified partner’s face for thirty seconds, a court heard.
His helpless victim could not breathe but eventually managed to struggle free and, suffering a nosebleed, set off to a friend’s home.
Her attacker Ryan Hankey, who already had a suspended sentence for assaulting and strangling his girlfriend, began texting her and after she blocked his number he rang from an unknown number and sent Facebook messages.
“Not satisfied with terrifying her, once she escaped she received a torrent of vicious and abusive messages demonstrating his loss of control,” said a judge, Recorder Martine Snowdon.
At the time Hankey, now 31, had a suspended prison sentence hanging over him for assaulting and strangling her imposed in July last year and a two restraining order had been imposed to keep him away.
But in October last year the couple resumed their relationship and she did not tell the police as she was “being manipulated,” Carmel Wilde, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court.
“She said initially he was over-affectionate and telling her he loved her constantly. After a short period of time things took a turn for the worse with him being abusive and arguments ensued.”
In February this year while at his home she tried to get dressed and he grabbed her leggings and put them in his mouth trying to rip them. He grabbed a knife and held it towards her “waving it around and threatening he was going to kill her.
“She collapsed and curled up into a ball, she was so scared. He was telling her to be quiet. She managed to get dressed and escape.”
On March 3 while at his home he accused her of cheating and tried to grab her phone. When she tried to leave he grabbed her by the hair and yanked her backwards.
“He grabbed her by the neck with one hand and pushed her on the bed and while on top of her was telling her to be quiet. She was crying and he grabbed a pillow from the bed to smother her and put it over her face.
“She could not breathe and started to kick out, ” said Miss Wilde.
He stopped after 30 seconds and she was able to get up and tried to leave. He tried to stop her but she called a friend telling her what had happened and started to walk to the friend’s home.”
While she was en route he sent her texts and then rang and sent abusive Facebook messages. He was arrested and when interviewed the next day denied threatening her of using violent behaviour.
The 20-year-old victim read her impact statement to the court in which she told how because of his assaults on her she lost her job and flat.
She explained that as she wore clothes to hide injuries she did not meet her employer’s dress code so lost her job which led to her losing her home.
“He was supposed to be my best friend and look after me.”
She said she had loved him “wholeheartedly and stuck around no matter how badly he treated me” but things became worse. “Every time I begged him to stop hitting me it was like he did not realise he was doing anything wrong.”
She added, “I was so scared but for some reason too scared to leave.”
Hankey, of Sheffield Close, Warrington, who has four previous convictions for nine offences, pleaded guilty to assault, suffocation and breaching a restraining order.
Recorder Snowdon said that he had been given a chance after his last conviction for offences against her. He spent a few days in custody but did not take the chance.
“You should have learnt but you did not and continued in what was a persistent and serious course of offending towards her.”
She sentenced him to a total of three years three months behind bars, which included activating three months of the 26-week suspended sentence he received last year.
Emily Woodside, defending, said, “He is aware of the seriousness of events and is ashamed of his actions.”
“He has been taking cannabis since secondary school and developed a dependency using it as a coping mechanism. He began using cocaine.”
She described his lifestyle as “chaotic” but while in custody on remand has been clean of drugs and sober. “He has re-evaluated his choices and can see the negative impact of drug use.”
Miss Woodside said his mental health had declined and was on anti-depressants.
